249. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations 1
2412. We are concerned at reports reaching us indirectly that Secretary General and some members of his inner cabinet are becoming discouraged at prospects of obtaining sufficient financing operations in Congo and are inclined to blame us for failure Working Group 21 to produce funding formula.
You should make early occasion review frankly with Secretary General our overall objectives, which we believe to be identical with and in support of his own (i.e., to enable the Organization to carry out effectively existing peace-and-security operations) and the tactics we are pursuing to this end in Working Group and in capitals. We believe that these tactics which are calculated to create a crisis atmosphere are most likely to achieve these common objectives.
[Page 553]He should understand that the hard line we are pursuing on the assessment scale and unprecedently wide-spread and intense diplomatic efforts we are making in almost 90 capitals are an indispensable prerequisite to continuance of U.S. contributions at satisfactory level. Doubts about proportion of our contribution will continue to exist as long as large number UN members continue press for sizable reductions in contributions, fall further in arrears and evidence no real signs of collective responsibility. We continue believe our two-pronged diplomatic campaign in Working Group and in capitals will achieve objectives common to ourselves and SYG. We believe our actions, together with efforts of Secretary General, will produce positive results in coming weeks.
- Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1960–63, UN 10–4. Confidential. Drafted by Frank K. Hefner and Woodruff Wallner on March 21 and approved by Wallner.↩